(NaturalNews) Eucalyptus is a fast growing tree coming from the land down under. This tree represents a pretty high percentage of the overall Australian flora and where koalas love to feast on. It is quite massive as it can grow well beyond 400 feet and there are literally hundreds of its species in the Australian landscape.

Back a few hundred years ago, the local aboriginals were the first to see the possible health benefits from steam distilled leaves in order to produce important essential oils that could then be used to treat wounds and fungal infections. The essential oils are now employed for a wide variety of purposes and they can be found in perfumes, cosmetics, medical or industrial products.

Eucalyptus does have a fresh and pleasant aroma thanks to a compound called eucalyptol. This makes it a prime candidate for any aromatherapy sessions or simply in every day products such as mouthwash preparations. From a health standpoint, eucalyptus oil has numerous benefits such as being anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, antibacterial and antispasmodic.

Eucalyptus can help treat respiratory problems

It's not surprising that many cough syrups contain eucalyptus. Many studies are now showing that it has the ability to not only counter bacteria in the upper respiratory tract, but also fungi and viruses. Eucalyptus will also assist with persistent coughs by loosening the phlegm as this was shown to be quite effective when laboratory tests were done on animals.

A 2004 issue of the Laryngoscope journal talked about how patients dealing with non-bacterial sinusitis were able to quickly improve their condition after taking medicinal products based on eucalyptus oil. It can actually be used as a decongestant by breathing its oil vapor, especially in cases of bronchitis. There's also the possibility to use it as an ointment on the tip of the nose or applied on the chest. This will produce the same decongestant activity found when used otherwise.

Back in 2010 in Argentina, the Parasitology Research journal reported encouraging news in regards to eucalyptus oil's ability to counter the spread of head lice. Since head lice have started developing resistance against the commonly used synthetic products, researchers were looking for alternatives. Different kinds of eucalyptus oils were tested and although they all showed promising results, the most efficient seemed to be eucalyptus sideroxylon, eucalyptus globulus ssp globulus and eucalyptus globulus ssp maidenii. Not only is eucalyptus oil now favorable for properly treating head lice but it is highly recommended because of its much safer compounds.

Many herbalists say the eucalyptus oil can be effective to counter exhaustion and stimulate mental activity. This belief comes from the fact that it has the ability to increase blood flow by relaxing the blood vessels. Besides increasing brain performance, it is also thought that eucalyptus may be useful to somewhat alleviate the effects of stress and mental disorders.